Ankle-brace.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. (JALvIN M. STEVENS, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or SIXTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO eEoReE A. WICKHAM, o. H. VARNELL,

' AND ESTATE OF WILLIAM MGLAUGHLIN, DECEASED, AND ONE- IENTHTO LEWIS CL OHAN, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

ANKLE-BRACE specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed July 11, 1906. Serial No. 326,678.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN M.'STEvENs, a

. citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, and

State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usefu Im rovements in Ankle- Braces, ofwhichthe f0 lowing is a specificaprovements in ankle-braces, andmore particularly-to an ankle-brace and foot-support;

' which not only enables him to stand and walk which and it consists in the particular construction,

arrangement, and combination of parts which will hereinafter be fully described.

The object of the invention is to provide a brace for attachment to the shoe and'to the limb of a person suffering from paralysis orother disease wherein the use or control of themuscles of the foot, leg, or ankle is destroyed 'or impaired, which brace rigidly holds the foot in a substantially horizontal position and at-the same time lends support vide a brace which firmly carries the foot of a person having a paralyzed leg or foot or havmg a weak or deformed ankle in a position firmly upon the foot, but also relieves all strain from the muscles of the diseased or deformed member.

The feet of persons afflicted with deformities of the'feet or ankles or with. diseases in which the use or control of the muscles of the feet is lost hang limp and lifeless, and when such persons are able to walk at all the toe of the dlsabled foot must be dragged. By the present invention the foot is supported in a natural .walkingposition, and when the leg is swun forward, as in walking, the toe of the foot 18 thereby lifted or held clear of the ground.

In describing the invention in detail reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, forming'a part of this specification, in

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, illustrating the a plication thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar view enlarged, showing the invention or a portion thereof detached.

' Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig; 4.

is a front elevation of the foot or ankle shield,

and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of'the calf-pad.

Referring to saiddrawings, in whichlike reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a clamp which is adapted to be rigidly secured to the heel 2 of a shoe, screw-holes 3. being provided therein through which securingscrews are inserted to hold said clamp in a heel-embracing position. Rigidly attached in a suitable manner to said heel-clam 1, midway between its ends, is a longitudinal spring-metal upright arm 4, which 1s preferably bowed outward slightly, as shown, and

secured to the upper or free end of said upright armat right angles thereto is a curved cross-piece or le -enga ing strip 5, preferably of flexible meta whic may be readily bent to conform to the shape of the calf of the leg which it is to embrace.

Secured between the lower end of the upby brazing, is a small triangular or Wedgeshaped piece of metal 6, which directs the upright arm 4 outward sufficiently to prevent it from rubbing the upper heel-leather of the shoe.

-A suitable leg protecting pad 7 is provided over the metal strip 5, and held in place against said strip by said pad is the rear portion of a securing-strap 8, Whichis adapted to be buckled about the leg, as shown in Fig. 1. .A shield 9 is preferably held by said strap for preventing undue rubbing of the front part of the leg where engaged by said strap.

A downwardly-directed hook 10 is carried by the rear face of the upright arm 4 at a suitable point for preventing the u ward slipping of a strap 11, which encircles the upright arm and the leg near the ankle. By adjusting the pressure of this strap 11 the elevation of the toe or the angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly adjusted, as the tighter said strap is drawn the greater is right arm 4 and the heel-clamp 1, preferably the elevation of the toe in relation to the leg,

IOO

against the rubbing of said strap. W A hook 14, carried by the lower end of said shield 12 is adapted for engagement with a shoestring for preventing the shield from slipping upward out of place.

A loop 15, formed by sewing the ends of a strap to the shoe-upper at each side of the heel and inclosing the upright 4, is preferably provided, said loop serving to rigidly hold said upright arm and shoe relatively in position, preventing the said arm from being bent rearwardly when the shoe is removed from the foot, and consequently preventing the accidental breaking of the arm from the heelclamp 1.

It will be noted that the angle formed at the juncture of the upright arm and the heelclamp is more or less acute, and these parts being held in fixed relation to each other when the upper end of the upright arm is held close against the calf of the leg and the leg is upright the foot is firmly held with the toe slightly elevated above the heel or in a substantially horizontal position. Consequently the dragging of the foot is avoided or prevented.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide an extremely simple device whereby the foot of the wearer is rigidly held in a position which relieves all strain upon the weak or useless muscles and whereby the foot is braced, admitting of the wearer supporting his weight thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, an arcuate heel-embracing clamp adapted for securing about the heel of a shoe, an upright arm rigidly secured at its lower end to said heel-clamp midway between the ends of the latter, said arm being adapted to stand directly in the rear of the limb of the wearer, and means for attaching the free end of said arm to the limb of the wearer, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, an arcuate clamp adapted for securing about the heel of a shoe, an upright spring-metal arm rigidly secured at its lower end to the rearmost part of the heel-clamp, means for attaching the free end ofsaid arm to the limb of the wearer, and means whereby the angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly adjusted.

3. In a brace, the combination with a shoe, of a heel-clamp secured to the heel of the shoe, an upright arm rigidly secured to said heel-clamp at the rearmost part of the heel, a flexible cross-piece secured to the free end of said arm, a pad covering said cross-piece, a strap partially inclosed by said pad and adapted for securing about the limb of the wearer, a suitably-located downwardly-directed hook carried by said arm, an adjusting-strap in engagement with said hook and embracing the upright arm and the limb of the wearer whereby the angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly adjusted, and means for preventing the upward slipping of the last-mentioned strap.

4. In a device of the character described, an arcuate heel-embracing clamp adapted for securing about the heel of a shoe, an upright arm rigidly secured at its lower end to said. heel-clamp, a triangular wedge between said clamp and arm for giving the latter a slight rearward inclination, and means for securing the free end of the arm to the limb of the wearer.

5. The combination with a shoe, of an arcuate heel-embracing clamp, an upright spring-metal arm secured to said clamp on the median line of the heel, a triangular wedge fitted between the clamp and said arm, means for attaching the free end of the arm to the limb of the wearer, and means where by the angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly adjusted.

6. The combination with a shoe, of an arcuate heel-embracing clamp, an upright spring-metal arm secured to said clamp on the median line of the heel, a triangular wedge brazed between the clamp and said arm, means for attaching the free end of the arm to the limb of the wearer, a downwardlydirected hook carried by said arm, and a strap in engagement with said hook and adapted for securing about the ankle of the wearer whereby the angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly adjusted.

7. The combination with a shoe, of an arcuate heel-embracing clamp adapted for securing about the heel of the shoe, an upright spring-metal arm secured to said clamp 011 the median line of the heel, a triangular Wedge brazed between the clamp and said arm, means for attaching the free end of the clamp to the limb of the wearer, a strap for encircling the upright arm and the ankle of the wearer whereby the relative elevation of the toe may be slightly adjusted, and means for preventing said strap from slipping upwardly.

8. In a brace, the combination with a shoe, of a heel-embracing clamp secured about the heel of the shoe, an upright arm rigidly attached to said clamp on the median line of the heel, a flexible-metal cross-piece attached to the upper end of said arm, said cross-piece being adapted for bending to conform to the calf of the wearer, a pad covering said crosspiece, a strap held between said cross-piece and said pad for attachment to the limb of the wearer, a strap for encircling the upright arm and the ankle of the wearer whereby the relative elevation of the too may be slightly adjusted, and shields carried by said straps.

9. The combination with a shoe, of an arcuate heel-embracing clamp, an upright spring-metal arm secured to said clamp on ITO the median line of the heel, a triangular i arm and having its ends attached to the shoewedge between the clamp and said arm, upper. 10

means for attaching the free end of. the arm In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature to the limb of the wearer, means whereby the in presence of two subscribing witnesses. angle of inclination of the foot may be slightly I CALVIN M. STEVENS. adjusted, and a loop whereby said arm and I Witnesses: shoe are rigidly held in relative positions, H. E. DUNLAP, said loop consisting of a strap encircling said GEQ'A. WIOKHAM. 

